tales from the [actual] crypt.

A photo catalog of the stones and stories of the Center Church Crypt.

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Final Public Tours of 2015--Please Read

Final Public Tours of 2015–Please Read

October 1, 2015 Tips for visitors for public hours this month: Tours are ongoing from 11am (doors open) to 1pm (doors close), but arrive no later than 12:40 for a full tour. Tour groupings throughout the day are strictly limited by fire code regulations, so arriving earlier is better (both earlier in the month, and earlier in the day). ****We are no longer able to make reservations for large…

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John Trowbridge, 1684-1740.

John went to Hopkins, graduating in 1696. He was a joiner (carpenter) and owned a warehouse near the head of Union Wharf. An active citizen in the community, he was chosen often for various positions after he was made a freeman in 1712; a lister in 1715, constable 1716, fence viewer of “Coopers Quarter and plainfield” in 1722 and in that year was on a committee to correct any errors in the…

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Daniel Trowbridge, 1734-1740.

Son of Captain Daniel and Mehitable “Mabel” Brown Trowbridge, born April 12, 1734 and died February 29, 1740.  Buried a few feet away from a younger brother also named Daniel Trowbridge, who was born eight months later and survived to the age of two.

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Daniel Trowbridge, 1740-1742.

Son of Mehitable (“Mabel”) and Captain Daniel Trowbridge, born August 27, 1740 and died September 1, 1742.  An older brother also named Daniel died in February of 1740, at the age of six; his stone can be seen in the background of the above image.

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Mehitable "Mabel" (Brown) Trowbridge, 1711-1797.

Mehitable “Mabel” (Brown) Trowbridge, 1711-1797.

Mehitable, daughter of Francis and Hannah (Alling) Brown, was a descendant of the Francis Brown who was one of the seven men left at Quinnipiac the winter of 1637/1638 by Theophilus Eaton to prepare the site for the English company coming from Boston in the spring. Mabel married Capt. Daniel Trowbridge, descendent of Thomas Trowbridge, one of the founders of New Haven Colony in 1638.

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Daniel Trowbridge, 1703-1752.

  Daniel graduated from Hopkins School on the Green and from Yale, class of 1725. He became a freeman in 1740. He married Mehitable (Mabel) Brown, daughter of Francis and Hannah (Alling) Brown. They had ten children, among them were Daniel (died age 2), Daniel (died age 6 ) and Hannah (died age 8). All were buried in the Crypt. Daniel gained his wealth through coastal trade and with the West…

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Hannah (Hitchcock) Howell, 1748-1787 (& four infant children).

Hannah (Hitchcock) Howell, 1748-1787 (& four infant children).

    Hannah, the daughter of Amos and Dorcas Hitchcock, was the wife of Joseph (1743-1810) Howell, probably married in 1770. They had eleven children. Most of them died young. Hannah was described as “amiable” on her gravestone Quite a feat after bearing eleven children! After Hannah’s death, Joseph married Sarah Hall and had seven more children.

Myresearch shows that Hannah was born on December…

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Esther Shipman, 1776-1793.

She was the daughter of Elias and Esther (Whiting) Shipman.

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Esther (Whiting) Shipman, 1753-1781.

Esther (Whiting) Shipman, 1753-1781.

She was the wife of Elias Shipman. In the period of 1784 to 1800, there was great prosperity in New Haven. Broome & Platt were the leading merchants, but there were fify-six smaller, successful stores, among them was Shipman’s. After the War of 1812, Elias was granted a virtual monopoly for ten years in “refining and manufacturing Loaf Sugar.” He was often chosen for positions of responsibility…

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Joseph Whiting, 1645-1717.

The survey shows this spelling, but in the New Haven Council minutes of 1722, there is listed Joseph W. Treeves. The year Joseph died is the same year the brick building for the Collegiate School (Yale) was erected. The Whitings lived in the eastern part of town.

Mymore recent research shows that the “TREVS” at the end of Joseph’s name is not his surname, but his job description at time of…

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Jeremiah Townsend, 1711-1803.

Jeremiah was born in Boston, the fourth generation of this branch of Townsends in the New World. He moved to New Haven in May of 1739 at the urging of William Greenough, a shipwright formerly from Boston, who had recently settled in New Haven. Jeremiah was a peruke-maker and barber. According to tradition, William told Jeremiah that Yale professors and students need a good wig-maker. Jeremiah…

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Thomas Trowbridge, 1632-1702.

Thomas Trowbridge, Esq., was born in Exeter, Devonshire, England in 1632. When he was seven he sailed with his father and mother, Thomas and Elizabeth, to Boston and then to New Haven. For some reason, the elder Thomas left New Haven before 1641 and put his three sons, Thomas, William and James in trust with a former servant, Henry Gibbons, along with his house, land, chattels and estate.…

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Sarah Trowbridge, 1680-1690.

She was the daughter of Thomas Trowbridge, Jr. and Sarah (Rutherford). Sarah had two older sisters, Elizabeth and Lydiaand four brothers. As was often the custom, the first baby girl was named for the mother. The Trowbridge family lived on Water Street between Meadow and State. Across the highway was the sandy beach of the harbor. Sarah’s father was a wealthy merchant and ship owner with his…

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Sarah (Rutherford) Trowbridge, 1641-1687.

Sarah (Rutherford) Trowbridge, 1641-1687.

Sarah was the daughter of Henry and Sarah (Newman) Rutherford and the wife of Thomas Trowbridge, Esq., who was born in Exeter, Devonshire, England in 1632. (The Rutherfords were next door neighbors of the Trowbridges on Meadow Street.) When her husband Thomaswas seven he sailed with his father and mother, Thomas and Elizabeth, to Boston and then to New Haven. For some reason, the elder Thomas…

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John Prout, 1648-1719.

In 1691 John requested liberty to transport some pipe staves. He was refused but four years later a similar request was granted. He must have trafficked considerably in staves (for barrels which were used extensively) because in 1698 he asked for liberty “to ship off to sea about 20,000 hogshead staves.” This was granted. He and his son John (1689-1776) acquired a considerable amount of land.…

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John Whiting, 1722-1786.

John was a graduate of Yale College and afterwards became a tutor there. He was made a freeman in 1748 and proceeded to take on many responsibilities: lister, grand juror, on a committee to distribute law books, a committee member to look at the dike at the west bridge to see what repairs were needed, a committee member to judge where the burying ground should be fenced in (on the Upper Green).…

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Sarah Lyman III, 1750-1751.

Sarah Lyman III, 1750-1751.

She was the daughter of Sarah (Whiting) and Daniel Lyman. Her mother died bearing her.

This Sarah Lyman was born in 1750 and died August 15, 1751; her mother Sarah (Whiting) Lyman died two weeks earlier on August 1, 1751 at the age of 27.

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